Sony drops backwards compatibility on new Euro sku, but what about US models?

Keeping in mind that we're reasoning in a vacuum, here's my empty speculation.

Europe as a market is a little more open than the United States or Asia. There's no clear second-place runner behind the Wii, so Sony has an opportunity to take that spot over if they time it right. That would be why the European 40 gig model was announced first, to get the price point established and to get it in the hands of people who don't know any better. It's also arguable that compared to Americans, Europeans are less likely to go into debt or otherwise spend carelessly. However you slice it, it was important to Sony to get that model out in the EU region, and fast.

Now, does this also mean that those functions won't be available in the US model? I can see that being the situation. Sony has no interest in perpetuating the used game market or licensing new PS2 games, since all the money is tied up in Blu Ray and the Playstation network. Every game that's played using backwards compatibility is a game that doesn't generate license or subscription fees for that new technology.

This is why I miss Sega. They didn't know how to make money, but everything they did served gamers first. Sony knows how to make lots of money, but they have no idea what's best for gamers. Luck only carried them so far.

 

Europe is a larger market than Japan, if they drop support over here, it's only a matter of time, as in, how quickly the remaining stock that supports backwards compatibility lasts. They can't afford to support too many hardware variations, if the PS3 takes off over here now because of the price drop, then the rest of the market will suffer the same fate. It stands to reason, support the lowest common denominator. If we stand for it, then the rest will... eventually.

 

Wait a minute, then what was the point to switching to software emulation? I mean do the ones that use software emulation still require some extra chips?

 

"So guys, we've got this PS2 emulator which is OK and easily updated, let's improve it and use it on all new PS3s."

"Fuck that! Remove it completely!"

My head a splode.

 

As much as people complain about ms 360 bc support, you gotta admit they still work on it. I mean its nice not having to drag the big ass xbox out just to play pd orta.

 

2nd Model PS3 are not pure emulation for the ps2 hardware. It's partial emulation. I believe the EE was stripped but not the GU.

The new model (which is not a replacement model, just a budget model) fully strips out all ps2 hardware as well as strips out a few other things (2 usb ports, no memory stick readers or wifi).

USA will get the model (no questions asked) but it will not replace the 80GB model (the one with partial ps2 hw).

Personaly if they're going to keep this practice of a budget model and a high grade model, I hope they throw back in full ps2 hardware into the high grade model).

 

I always thought that the EE+GS was one chip in the PS3 and newer PS2s.

 

We can only hope so, man.

I won't even be getting a PS3 anytime soon, but to think of the mass of PS2 games out there that won't get played now because of this... I mean, the PS2 was so successful partly because of backwards compatibility with PS1 software. PS3 has all that as well up to this point.. let's hope Sony gets backlashed so it ends up giving us what we deserve!

 

I'm pretty confused about all this removal, adding BS. I mean, does the box tell you which version you're getting?

 

If they drop the PS1 / PS2 support on the Japanese models then I am sure several sony execs would be forced to commit seppuku. The PS3 is large enough without forcing people to keep their PS2 units. The 20Gb and 60gb models are still sold and available in Japan and have hardware ps2 emulation as far as I can tell from the specs list.

 

If you're confused, just think what the general public are going to be? This is likely to be a marketing nightmare, since an awful lot of buyers (think parents/grandparents) aren't likely to know the difference unless "NOT PS1/PS2 compatible" is liberally scribed across the boxes.

The more I think about this, the more critical I am of the decision. Perhaps they should release the stripped down model as a PSThree 40Gb, so as to differenciate it from the the backwards compatible models? I guess I'm glad that I've already got a model with the PS2 hardware in it, but I am concerned now about support for that emulation going forward.

 

My TV's out of inputs, I can't have another one!
DVI used by DVD player,
YPbPr 1 used by PS2 (which'll become PS3)
YPbPr 2 used by Wii
AV1 used by cable box.

 

I believe Sony will end up killing PS2 emulation on all models. It's a way to make people upgrade and buy PS3 games instead of cheaper PS2 ports and save some money on each model eliminating the GS.

The general public won't miss the backwards compatibility. People tend to play the latest sport game, racing game... but are not interested in classic PS1 or PS2 games. I've never seen any of my friends playing a PS1 game on the PS2. They'll just throw all the old games in the trash bin and move along.

 

I agree with Crescent. Early on backwards compatibility is a bigger deal as most haven't built a new game library for the new platform yet. But not long after, they never play their old games. People like us surely will play older games for decades, but the average person won't. Also we are the type of people more likely to hold onto the original system anyway which has 100% compatibility rather than some broken ass compatibility.

So it's really not a big loss. Just stock up on some PS2s when they start dropping the price to bleed them all away like they did the PSOne.

 

Removing b/c is not a way to encourage people to upgrade to a PS3 - quite the opposite, in fact - you've just taken away one factor that makes spending that money on a new console easier.

And just about every PS2 owner I know owns PS1 games (heck, a fair portion of that no longer even possess a PS1 console!).

The is a move to reduce hardware cost & consequently reduce the street price of the console - the lower price is the only factor that can be said to encourage people to buy into the newer platform.

I think people will miss b/c more than you think. The sheer convenience of having access to a huge library of existing titles (some of which will likely never make it to the new platform, even through download emulation) is something I'd definately miss.

BTW, if anyone is planning to toss all their old PS1/2 games in the trash bin, pls publish the location of the trash bin. (I'm trying to encourage recycling...;-))

 

Not to invalidate anybody's observations or anything, but I've found that my friends tend to have the same gaming habits that I do. I'm a collector, I enjoy old games as often as I do new ones, and I tend to hoard older systems and older titles. I'm also very aware that what I observe may not be representative of the public at large. This is all by way of saying that just because us obsessive hardcore guys need backward compatibility, it doesn't mean that Joe Public is going to.

On the other hand, Joe Public doesn't complain quite as loudly. If we're really lucky, Sony will realize that they can't hedge their bets by pissing off the hardcore crowd, who are their early adopters and a built-in, cost free marketing force.

 

You're right. From the consumer's point of view it's easier to buy a new machine if you can use all your old games. But I don't think Sony is interested in the consumer using or buying PS2 games. It's time for them to move the PS market, and the PS2 is dead weight for the new system.

The way I see it, they use the price drop (thanks in part to eliminating the GS) to sell the console, and use the b/c killing to force the user to buy PS3 games.

The only game collector that I know in person is myself. All my friends could be considered "common customers" and I have to say that there's only one of about 15-20 PS2 users that has PS1 games (the FF saga). I don't think my situation could be considered representative either, but I do know there are a lot of gamers that behave that way.

I'd love to see Sony realize b/c is important to their public (myself included), but I don't believe it'll happen. But well, I didn't believe they'd publish the Ico reprint and MGS3 Subsistence here in Spain too and they finally did so perhaps there's hope...

I'm feeling a bit ecologist lately too so I won't mind telling you their location, after taking a peek to make sure everything is right, of course :icon_bigg

 

Backwards compatibility is a huge issue! I don't know the average age of the users of this forum but realistically a cheap PS3 bar BC is going to sell like hotcakes at xmas in anticipation of titles such as MGS4... thinking about parents & kids... a quick bout of Halo 3 online and you realise there are so many 9 - 15 year olds playing these games, getting into these franchises; my point is this - when little billy gets a budget PS3 for xmas and is all hyped up about MGS4 but hasn't even touched 1 - 3 he finds his PS3 may not be able to play them, and he is going to have to invest again in yesterdecade's hardware to play them, I don't think he's going to be happy with his 40GB Cell powered supercomputer.

Flexibility, choice and freedom is what ever gamer yearns for, I think this totally sucks. I haven't taken the plunge with the PS3 yet and being in a PAL territory I'm in an even worse position - I had been stocking up on PS1 & PS2 games waiting for PS3's launch only to find that compatibility was not going to be as promised from launch and have withheld the urge to buy since. I can't get an NTSC EE equipped machine as region lockout means I can't play my games! I have been burned. Wish I hadn't sold my damned PS2 now. *sigh*